Hi everyone! If you guys are following me on Instagram, you’d know I am in New York for the holidays. I was quite looking forward to my vacation, since this past year has been very difficult on the personal front. I was ready to explore the city the moment I landed 7 days ago but jet lag hit me like a train and I have no idea where and how the week just slipped away! I was running on 1-2 hours of sleep though I would spend all night tossing and turning. I don’t know how frequent fliers do it! My brother has joined me from Dallas couple of days so now we’re enjoying the city together. There’s so much to see! Its been very cold (it was – 2 deg.C yesterday!) and supposed to get colder this week (not looking forward to that bit at all!).

Because of the stark contrast in the weather, my skin threw a fit the day I landed. I’ve never experienced dryness like this, not just on my face but on the body as well! One of the first things I had to do was hit the drugstore and stock up – lots of oil, lots of moisturizer and bodylotion. I’ve figured out a good skin care routine by now though and my skin has *touchwood* been feeling amazing! Just like you need layers of clothing to beat the cold, you need layering in the winter to keep your skin moist, fresh and radiant looking! I was carrying some Innisfree minis with me from the pomegranate range (with worked very well actually – essence, lotion, cream and eye serum) but they lasted me just 3-4 days about. Which was my plan anyway because I planned to shop for beauty products here.

Step 1 : I start with a combination of gentle cleansers. Because I wear makeup everyday, cleansing is very important so most days I do a 2-step regime. I picked up the Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil from Rite-Aid. Its a medium-weight oil i.e its not as light as dry oils but its not super viscous either. It doesn’t emulsify a ton to be honest but cleanses nicely enough while giving such more needed slip to my skin. I’m following this up with the L’Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal Cleanser which has bit of scrubby particles, glycolic acid and produces mild lather – it gets the oil/makeup residue right off without drying the skin.

Step 2 : I know the cleansers are working right because my skin doesn’t feel dry/stretchy after cleansing. For step 2, I’ll add a few spritzes of a face mist, carried the Innisfee Aloe Soothing Mist from India which seems to function alright as a basic hydrating mist.

Step 3 : I then take some Innisfree Pomegranate Eye Serum and apply it generously around the eyes. Its lightweight enough that it doesn’t leave any greasy after-feel. It won’t last more than 2-3 days I think so I need to go pick something from the drugstore or Sephora soon.